Michael Robert Allan

A Life Well Lived

This is the story of my husband. This is the story about Mike.

Mike began his journey through life on March 1, 1955. He was born to Frances and Robert Allan, joining his sisters Patricia and Linda.

Mike grew up in Whittier, California, where he enjoyed things like Little League, swimming, and playing with his dog and pet rats. Since Pat had since married and moved out of the family home, sister Linda became the target of Mike's many practical jokes. What are little brothers for!

Mike attended Pioneer High School, where he was on both the swim team and the water polo team. He graduated in 1973 and went on to Rio Hondo College where his interest in acting took hold. From Rio Hondo he went on to get his Bachelor's Degree in Theater at Cal State Dominguez Hills and his Masters in Theater at Cal State Northridge.

During that time he performed in many plays, namely "Charley's Aunt", "Pantagleize", "The Man Who Came to Dinner", and more. These performances brought him many excellent reviews from the school and local newspapers.

After graduation, Mike moved into the heart of the Valley (Reseda) to begin plying his trade as an actor. With just a few equity waiver productions under his belt, he saw that this acting life just wasn't going to pan out, so he packed it up and moved to West Covina. There he became involved in the local church, St. Martha's Episcopal, and teaching Sunday School. It was then that he realized his love of teaching.

St. Martha's was also the site where he met me. Actually, I saw him first and wanted to meet him. So I arranged for the Minister's wife to introduce us after church one Sunday, July 4, 1982. And as they say, the rest was history. To those who say I'm a micro manager, they are not wrong!

We got engaged a few months later, with Mike popping the question at the Velvet Turtle restaurant on October 8, 1982. While planning the wedding, Mike continued his education in pursuit of his teaching degree at Cal State Dominguez Hill.

On June 18, 1983, we were married in the church where we first met. We honeymooned in Hawaii and returned to settle in West Covina to start our lives together, and hopefully, a family.

That dream became a reality when they welcomed our first son, Christopher. Soon thereafter, Matthew made his appearance. Timothy joined the growing family after that and finally Andrew arrived on the scene. Our family was complete.

During this time, Mike became an elementary school teacher, with his first assignment being in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Wanting to be closer to home, Mike joined the teaching staff at Lark Ellen Elementary in Covina and the Covina Valley Unified School District in 1986.

In 1997 Mike moved over to Sierra Vista Middle School in Covina, teaching sixth grade literature, history and most recently, drama. He has been there ever since. It was here where he made many friends and touched the many lives of his students. In fact, there were many occasions where we would be out to dinner or the grocery store and there'd be one of his former students reminding him that they were in his class and how they still remember him even as adults.

Mike was always an involved and a hands on Dad. He was constantly playing with the boys, helping them with school projects (many a California mission comes to mind!) and teaching them the fine art of the practical joke. Of course, he taught them so well that he became the target of a few of those himself.

When the boys joined high school band, he became active in the Band Boosters. You would find him pushing instruments on and off the field, chairing a tournament committee and contributing anywhere he could to the various fundraisers.

A few years into our marriage, we developed a love for traveling around California. We particularly fell in love with the Central California coast. Cambria became our "go to" place, going there a couple times a year. The Monterey Bay area also became a personal favorite of ours, as well as Morro Bay, San Simeon and Big Sur. Mike and I loved to watch the elephant seals, otters, sea lions and the other ocean life frolic in their natural habitat. We also visited San Francisco, Mendocino and Lake Tahoe.

Mike was a wonderful husband and father, as well as good friend, confidante, brother, uncle, colleague and a dear and caring man. But his most important relationship, other than his family, was his relationship with our Savior Jesus Christ, and his desire was to do His will.

One of his favorite Bible verses was from Micah 6:8 which he lived out every day:

"He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."

So long my love. I was truly blessed with you in my life.

.... until we meet again.